Le Minotaure (Faune et nymphe), 1885/1886

CommentaryA bearded faun sits on a rocky crag, greedily encircling a beautiful young nymph. With his horns, his animal-like ears and horsetail on his back we recognize in him the half human, half animal being of antique mythology. The nymph defends herself with all her strength against his advances. She presses her foot against the ground and tries to free herself from his embraces. Rodin sculpted the nymph’s movement to escape as two steeply rising diagonals. The seemingly so unambiguous work has no clear title or rather: it has a number of them. The sculptor himself called it ›Faun and Nymph‹, ›Jupiter Taurus‹ and ›Minotaur‹. Antique mythology provides no amorous adventures for this creature, however. Rodin’s loose treatment of literary sources upset his contemporaries. The sculptor himself said tersely: »In a word, you shouldn’t assign too much importance to the theme you are dealing with. Doubtless they are of value and contribute to attracting the public; but the main concern of an artist must remain forming the muscles as true to life as possible. All the rest is of little relevance.«

A bearded faun sits on a rocky crag, greedily encircling a beautiful young nymph. With his horns, his animal-like ears and horsetail on his back we recognize in him the half human, half animal being of antique mythology. The nymph defends herself with all her strength against his advances. She presses her foot against the ground and tries to free herself from his embraces. Rodin sculpted the nymph’s movement to escape as two steeply rising diagonals. The seemingly so unambiguous work has no clear title or rather: it has a number of them. The sculptor himself called it ›Faun and Nymph‹, ›Jupiter Taurus‹ and ›Minotaur‹. Antique mythology provides no amorous adventures for this creature, however. Rodin’s loose treatment of literary sources upset his contemporaries. The sculptor himself said tersely: »In a word, you shouldn’t assign too much importance to the theme you are dealing with. Doubtless they are of value and contribute to attracting the public; but the main concern of an artist must remain forming the muscles as true to life as possible. All the rest is of little relevance.«